vendredi 26 juin 2015

My Top Scents of Summer for 2015

I’ve
just handed in the French translation of E.L. James’ new Grey, a 14-hour-a-day, shackled-to-the-keyboard marathon during
which I must admit our seasonal top 10 wholly slipped my mind – hence this
belated contribution (that prose would soften anyone's... brain).

I
subsisted during my stint in the Red Room of Pain – aka my living room/office –
by spraying myself periodically with the bracing, mint-and-grass scented Herba Fresca one of the first Aqua
Allegorias. And a reminder that Guerlain was way ahead of the competition in
the faux-de-cologne genre since the collection goes all the way back to 1999.

I’ve
been having a tiny bit of a niche backlash these days. It kind of snuck up on
me: at this stage, and with summer coming on, I can do without the drama
queens, the fascinating weirdos and the 700th vetiver. I’ve been
drawn to abstract, sleek pieces like Alaïa, Pariswhich I’ve been wearing most days. I’m more aware of the mineral-animal
axis, but most people who’ve smelled it on me get into the fruity floral angle
(there’s an osmanthus effect though none is claimed).

Narcisois another one of these abstracts
scents: sniff it at certain angle and you’ll get the rose-vetiver bearing walls
of another great favorite of mine, Le Labo’s Ylang 49.
But while the latter plays a 1970s-style green chypre structure off the saline aspects
of salicylates (major components of ylang and responsible for “solar” notes),
Narciso Rodriguez’s new feminine gives off a grand, static milky haze. The “Oil
parfum” version is markedly woodier: a lick on the nape of the neck will do the
trick on a hot day.

Seamless,
non-figurative compositions – the olfactory equivalent of ambient music – are something
of an Alberto Morillas forte. Pending his upcoming Voulez-vous coucher avec moi for Kilian, a “flower milk” to be
released in October, his limited-edition Good Girl Gone Bad – Splash of Neroliblows a bubble of freshness into that great ball
of flowers. It is a scent I turn to when I just want to slide on the scented
equivalent of a décolletage -- like Guerlain’s Terracotta,
such a success last year it was brought back as a permanent reference. My
favorite version is actually the after-sun cream, which I use as a moisturizer
after I’ve showered with Yves Rocher’s classic, divine and dirt-cheap Monoï de Tahiti Lagoon Hair & Body Wash – I was turned on to it by Isabelle
Doyen, who was actually born in Tahiti and so knows her monoï. I’d bathe in
pools of the stuff.

I’ve
just written I could very well live with the 700th take on vetiver,
but to cut through all that tropical, lactonic, fruity floral frivolity, I
spritz on Prada’s Infusion de
Vétiver– with its
fizzy ginger bite, it’s just begging to be turned into a cocktail (mixologist
are become a fixture at perfume-y events, but that’s another story).

And
just to prove I’m not entirely off niche, I’ve recently rediscovered Miller
Harris’ Fleurs de Sel, a more aromatic, neo-hippie-chic descendant
of Duneby Dior – both being alternate-universe takes
on beach scents with nary a drop of calone, that play on the tannic effects of
narcissus to bring out the saltiness of vetiver and moss…

To
conclude, I’d like to share a bit of disheartening news. I hadn’t been walking
around Paris much (because of my 50 shades of translation misery), but two days
ago I found out that L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Grande Boutique on the rue de l’Amiral
de Coligny, opposite the Louvre, was no more.

That was where Bertrand
Duchaufour had his lab, and thus where Sévillle
à l’aube was conceived and birthed… I’m sure many of you dropped by there
at some point to pick up your favorites: it was one of the very few
freestanding L’Artisan boutiques left. Let’s just hope Puig knows what to do
with the brand. At this point, no news has filtered.

20 commentaires:

As for summer favorites, I also am loving Ylang 49 and Terracotta, along with my usual summer incense SL L'Eau Froide. My new summer rose is Divine Spirituelle. But we have so far had lots of rain here in Montréal and cooler temps, so I have worn quite a few of my favorite orientals as well.

Glad to hear that the supplice is over for now with your latest translation!

Summer heat has just started here in Paris so much of this list was wishful thinking... Another summer incense you might want to try is Blue Encens by Cdg. A friend wore it throughout the summer last year and I really enjoyed her sillage.

In a way, I feel like saying "thank you for her". I often pass in front of the restaurant where we saw each other for the last time, knowing though not acknowledging that this would be the case... I never fail to stop and have a thought for her -- but I've been remiss about wearing her scents. She was already worried about the aging of Manoumalia back when she was in full health -- I'm afraid to smell my bottle at this stage...But her Magnolia is still fairly recent, so you're inspiring me to take it out!

I wonder whether the Marais l'Artisan store is still around then? I was there in January, it's a cozy little store, with a very helpful English speaking SA. I picked up sample kits at half price, making me a happy camper :) On the other hand, I kind of regret not buying the Aedes scent, as that was probably the last place they were selling it at.

I know the one on the rue des Francs Bourgeois is gone. There's another one on the rue du Bourg-Tibourg which I think is still there. The irony is that L'Artisan Parfumeur was actually the first perfume brand to open free-standing shops since the "golden age" of Guerlain, Houbigant, etc., i.e. brands founded by perfumers.

Yes, I saw that too on Google! It *is* sad. L'Artisan has been rather badly handled for years now, and no one knows yet what the new owners' plans are -- it's such a gem of a brand! One thing that's pretty sure is that some references will be discontinued.

Heya Denyse,What a wonderful list, so many I love and a whole bunch I've never tried. You have helped to lengthen the Must try List again.Bummer about the L'Artisan store. Does that mean Bertrand is looking for new digs? I'm sure a million European perfumistas would be willing to offer him a place.Portia xx

Yes, he will have to set up his lab elsewhere. Still, he works part-time for a raw materials company so it's not like he's "homeless".Apart from that, I'm glad to have inspired more sampling opportunities !

Oh shame! I did drop by to the store there on my 50th birthday perfume shop crawl in 2009. Congrats on completing your translation marathon - loved your description of Narciso as a 'grand, static, milky haze'. Am coming to Paris myself on 14th for a short work trip - not sure how much sniffing I will be able to fit in though, not least because I also have to go to Le Havre!

I must check out Terre de Sel - I only know of Fleurs de Sel and am in the mood for salty scents at the moment.

Which reminds me I'll have to do an update on my perfume itineraries at some point! Oh, and thanks for catching me out on the Miller Harris, I did mean "Fleurs de Sel", but was considering adding "Terre d'Hermès eau très fraîche" to the list, hence the slip-up!

I asked about the closure of the AP shop and the PR told me that it was a strategical decision for them to be able to open more shops. It seems that they still haven't a location for Bertrand's lab at this time.Nice to hear that you're now out of the Red room of pain ;)See youM

Yes, I should imagine they'll want to develop the brand -- most L'AP shops were replaced with Penhaligon's over the past few years. But as for B's lab... I don't think anyone outside Puig knows what's up with that.

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Denyse Beaulieu

I am a writer and translator based in Paris, as well as the perfume editor for Citizen K. My book The Perfume Lover, A Personal History of Scent is published by Harper Collins (UK), St. Martin's Press (USA) and Penguin (Canada). The perfume linked to the book,Séville à l'aube, was composed by Bertrand Duchaufour for L'Artisan Parfumeur.